September 8 Weekly Brief!

Abracadabra! Here’s your new favorite bike!

We all just want to have fun, and bikes just want to be ridden! Same goes for that old bike of yours that’s been sitting idle for so long. Yes, practically any bike can be a safe, comfortable, commuter; and it doesn’t take a makeover of daytime-TV proportions to turn a dusty-not-rusty ride into your new favorite bike!

Click here to learn simple tricks to make your bike a road-worthy commuter!

Biketoberfest is October 15! Are you ready for THE event of the fall?

Sustain Charlotte’s Biketoberfest returns for a second straight year of fun, discovery, prizes, and community centered around seeing the city on two wheels.

Get your tickets and get in on Sustain Charlotte’s Biketoberfest! **Event T-shirts are only available for a limited time! Get yours now!**

Biketoberferst event t-shirts are in! Unisex and women's sizes available for a limited time!

We have three great speakers lined up for our Monthly Mixer THIS Wedneday, September 14!

Local residents like you play a critical role in ensuring we have the resources to carry out our work in the community to inspire choices that lead to a healthier and more vibrant community for generations to come! Click below to be the change and become a sustaining member today!

"A piece of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools land that had been slated for sale to a townhouse developer will instead remain undeveloped, after Mecklenburg County commissioners voted to ask CMS not to sell the land – and agreed to buy it themselves if the school system doesn’t agree...Neighbors in the Sedgefield and Dilworth neighborhoods opposed the sale, which they say would jeopardize adjacent Sedgefield Neighborhood Park and eliminate a valuable piece of open space in a rapidly densifying part of town." We're glad to see that this green space was preserved due to its value to neighborhood residents!

"If the goal of Los Angeles’ transit investments is more ambitious — to have buses and trains shape the region in the 21st century the way the automobile did in the 20th — building transit is not enough." It's not enough to just build a big network of buses and rail. We need to make sure people of all ages and abilities can safely access those services without having to drive. Many of Charlotte's transit stops aren't pedestrian-friendly, and it's time for that to change!

* SEPTEMBER 9: Speak up for Bicycles + Karaoke Party at The Spoke Easy *

5:00pm @ The Spoke Easy, 1523 Elizabeth Ave, Suite 120, Charlotte, NC 28204. Join us for drink specials, karaoke, prizes and the opportunity to speak up for the need for safe infrastructure for bicyclists in Charlotte! This will also be an important opportunity to plan a strategy for the September 20th City Council Meeting (see info below).

6:00pm - 7:30pm @ Free Range Brewing, 2320 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28205. Join us for an informal and fun evening of conversation and networking! Our Monthly Mixers provide an opportunity to learn more about us, our partners, and meet others interested in local sustainability issues. At 6:30, you'll hear from Sustain Charlotte Gold Partner Alta Planning + Design who will tell you about their sustainability efforts! You'll also hear from Jason Alexander, owner of Free Range Brewing, who will talk about their sustainable business model. SCCC volunteer Amanda Zullo will talk about how her initiative Pop Up Produce is bringing fresh food to Charlotte neighborhoods! There are no membership requirements and everyone is warmly welcomed.

12:00pm - 5:00pm with after party to follow. Sustain Charlotte will host this highly anticipated event in Center City and South End Charlotte. This unique event shows hundreds of people how easy it is to get around without driving! Participants will bike, walk, or ride transit to sponsoring businesses while collecting stamps in their official Biketoberfest passport. Stamps will be redeemed for raffle tickets and a chance to win many valuable prizes! This family-friendly event will end with an after party celebration with live music and an exciting raffle! All proceeds will benefit Sustain Charlotte, your community advocate for biking in Charlotte! Tickets are only $25 with an awesome event t-shirt included (or $10 without a t-shirt). Kids under 18 are free. Check-in at Triple C Brewing opens at 11am.

4:00 - 7:00pm @ Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, 600 E 4th St, Charlotte, NC 28202. The City is working with a consultant to evaluate options to connect the Little Sugar, Irwin and Stewart Creek greenways and at this workshop,YOU will have the chance to provide input for this study! Please attend this workshop and let the city know that you want to see a safe, protected bike lane connecting our greenways and ultimately a network of protected lanes throughout Charlotte. We are encouraging people from all over Charlotte to ride their bikes to this event. Make it a group ride, make it a race, make it a slow cruise, just make it out on Sept 20th and let your voice be heard in support of safe, connected, world-class bicycle infrastructure! Click here to learn more.

September 20: Livable Communities Solutions Forum

9:00am - 11:00am @ Mecklenburg County Government Center, 600 East 4th Street, room 267. Discuss local efforts to make Mecklenburg more age-friendly and learn about a new tool -- the AARP Livability Index: Great Neighborhoods for All Ages -- and how it can support this work! Registration is free. Click here to register.

September 24: 2016 Walk to End Alzheimer's

9:00am - 12:00pm @ Symphony Park, 4400 Sharon Rd, Charlotte, NC 28211. Held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s® is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. This inspiring event calls on participants of all ages and abilities to reclaim the future for millions! We are a proud sponsor of this important community event that supports walking for personal and community health! Click here to register as an individual or team!

September 30: Community Karma / Friends and Family Event

5:00pm-8:00pm @ Okra / Gumbo The Store, 1912 Commonwealth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205. All yoga classes all day are just $7 and net proceeds benefit Sustain Charlotte! Join in from 5-8pm for this special and more from local vendors who will be offering great values. We sincerely thank our partners Okra Charlotte / Gumbo the Store for their support of our work and your community through this event!

September 30 - Oct 1: Carolina Jubilee

@ VanHoy Farms in Harmony, NC. A two-day rock and bluegrass festival highlighting Carolina Farm Trust’s mission; protecting farm land and fostering an ecosystem of sustainable farming. Enjoy live music, a beer garden, farm-to-table food, local vendors, and camping optional on-site. The proceeds from the festival are going to support a local farm, Mary L, in purchasing a pasteurization system so that they can sell their local, organic, free range milk directly to the community! Click here to purchase tickets and learn more.

Lunch @ 11:30am, program begins @ 12:00pm. UNC-Charlotte Center City campus, 320 E 9th St, Charlotte, NC 28202. If you want to learn more about the changing face of population in the Charlotte region, come to this program! You'll hear the updated statistics about migration flows into and out of Mecklenburg and surrounding counties within the Charlotte region. This program coincides with the release of Calendar Year 2015 American Community Survey data, including the volume of migration by characteristics such as age, location, income, employment, and family/household size. Discussion topics will include the housing choices of migrants and information on comparable urban areas. Click here to register.

MANY THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS

Is your company interested in joining the Sustain Charlotte Partner Network? Our generous partners play a critical role in supporting our work. Through our corporate membership program, we provide year-round brand exposure, positive publicity, and business development opportunities to those businesses and nonprofits that are helping make our community more sustainable through their products, services, or commitment to move their organization towards greater sustainability. Become a partner today!